Over 50% of New Mexico's population is composed of under-represented minorities (URM) making it is the first "minority-majority" state in the contiguous 48 states. New Mexico has the highest proportion of Hispanic population in the US and the highest proportion of American Indian representation in the continental US. These factors provide New Mexico with a unique opportunity to educate a diverse student body. The overall goal of the Southwest Graduate Coalition for Bridges to the Doctorate is to promote the successful transition of URM students from Master's programs at Eastern New Mexico University (ENMU), New Mexico Highlands University (NMHU) and New Mexico Institute for Mining and Technology (NMT) into Ph.D. programs in the biomedical sciences. The specific aims represent an integrated and coordinated plan to reinforce key goals of the program. Aim 1. Improve the academic competitiveness of URM students from NMHU, ENMU, and NMT through web-based curriculum supplementation focused on goals and objectives that reflect national standards of overall competencies for graduate biomedical education. Aim 2. Strengthen research training and research opportunities for URM students at NMHU, ENMU and NMT through research support, travel support and increased coordination with other existing minority training programs at UNM and within New Mexico. Aim 3. Enrich MS program graduate research training through formalized affiliations of partner faculty with UNM, support for faculty writing and research techniques workshops, and offer partner faculty training in the innovative student-centered, Problem-Based Learning (PBL) educational approaches. Aim 4. Increase the rate of successful transition of URM students into Biology and Biomedical Sciences Ph.D. Programs through the activities in Aims 1-3, establishment of a peer mentor program, and effective outreach activities. The program plan addresses issues of culture and contextual learning to further enhance the successes of this ongoing Bridges program. [unreadable] [unreadable]